Loudon resident and Murfreesboro native Carmen Roselle Cowans West, 40, was born Sept. 10, 1974 and died Jan. 4.
She grew up in McMinnville. She then moved with her mother and three brothers to Knoxville in order to care for her younger brothers while her mother attended law school. She attended South-Doyle High School followed by the University of Tennessee, where she graduated with honors with a bachelor of science degree in nutrition. She was a member of the Kappa Omicron NU Honor Society and was on the dean’s list every semester. After completion of college, she was employed by the Knox County and the Monroe County Health Departments. During employment, she pursued her passion of providing nutritional education to children and their caregivers. Throughout her life she expressed her love for her family and friends through photography, scrapbooking, and memorializing life events of others. A smile on someone else’s face was Carmen’s reward. She was also an avid animal lover as shown by the exceptional care she gave to all her cherished companions, especially her dog, Annie Rose.
She was preceded in death by maternal grandfather, Paul L. Mahar; paternal grandparents, Mary and Bill Cowans; step-grandfather, James Potts; uncle, Tim Cowans; aunt, Pam Mahar; cousin, Kaleb Sanders; step-aunt, Lucretia Dolzoneck; and step-uncle, Alan Potts.
She is survived by mother, Sherry Mahar of Knoxville; father and stepmother, Steve and Dorene Cowans of McMinnville; brothers, Joseph Stacey, Joshua Stacey and John Berggren, all of Knoxville, and Zack Cowans and Cody Cowans, both of McMinnville; grandmother, Rose Mahar of McMinnville; step-grandmother, Winnifred Baumgartner of Smyrna; and several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews also survive.
Funeral service will be Friday at 7 p.m. at Park West Church of God, 7635 Middlebrook Pike in Knoxville. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday prior to the service. The family will receive friends from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Saturday at High Funeral Home in McMinnville. A graveside service and interment will follow at Gardens of Memory Cemetery with Chaplain Dave Trempe to officiate. Online condolences may be extended at www.rosemortuary.com.
Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel, Knoxville.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) Jan. 9, 2015